Computer networks allow computers to exchange information and share resources such as files, printers, modems, and storage units. Typically, traffic (data transmitted from computer to computer in a computer network) on a computer network includes the transmission of data packets. Traffic on a computer network may be monitored to collect information about the computer network and the traffic on the computer network. This information may be used for various purposes, such as network performance monitoring, network debugging, connectivity analysis, and so forth.
Network managers may use network monitors to collect statistical information and debugging information about packets on the computer network. One example of monitoring a network is to copy or “mirror” packets at a switch or router, and transmit the mirrored packets to a monitoring device over a mirroring port. Thus, a switch may mirror packets from multiple real-traffic ports onto one (or a few) mirroring ports over some type of link. The mirroring port, the monitoring device and the link connecting the mirroring port to the monitoring device may each have a bandwidth parameter within which the mirroring should occur.
It would be desirable to provide a high traffic rate to the monitoring device while staying within a bandwidth parameter of a mirroring port, the monitoring device and a link between a the mirroring port and the monitoring device.